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Mayor: Police to investigate controversial firehouse photos

Omaha's mayor has ordered the city's fire chief to suspend an investigation into controversial photos that surfaced Monday.

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Updated: 10:23 PM CDT Jul 23, 2013

Mayor: Police to investigate controversial firehouse photos

Omaha's mayor has ordered the city's fire chief to suspend an investigation into controversial photos that surfaced Monday.

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Updated: 10:23 PM CDT Jul 23, 2013

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WEBVTT ANOTHER FIERY TOPIC-- AND A MUCH DIFFERENT ONE. MORE FALLOUT, OVER A COUPLE PICTURES TAKEN INSIDE AN OMAHA FIRE STATION. MAYOR STOTHERT SAYS SHE WANTS THE áPOLICE TO GET INVOLVED. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN'S ADRIAN WHITSETT JOINS US LIVE. MAYOR STOTHERT SAYS THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE áPOLICY, IF THERE WAS A VIOLATION -AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT. THE FIRE UNION SAYS POLICE RESOURCES WOULD BE MORE WISELY SPENT ELSEWHERE.. AND THE UNION PRESIDENT FEELS THIS IS "FANNING THE FLAMES" ONLY HELPFUL FOR THE MAYOR AS SHE LOOKS TO OUST THE FIRE CHIEF. TOWARD THE END OF THE MEDIA BRIEFING ON HER 2014 BUDGET. MAYOR JEAN STOTHERT ADDRESSED THESE RECENTLY LEAKED PHOTOS... OF A WOMAN POSING WITH TWO OMAHA FIRE FIGHTERS AND ON TOP OF A FIRE ENGINE INSIDE A FIRE STATION.(Jean Stothert: "I've not spoken to the chief about it. I've sent him an email and I requested that he investigate it.") A FEW HOURS LATER THOUGH -- SHE TOLD CHIEF MIKE MCDONNELL TO SUSPEND áHIS INQUIRY IN LIEU OF A áPOLICE INVESTIGATION. (Jean Stothert: "I will guarantee you that once the investigation is finished we will take action that we need to take.")(Steve Leclair: "I think it's an absolute miscarriage of power, an abuse of power.") FIRE UNION PRESIDENT STEVE LECLAIR DOES NOT BELIEVE THE PICTURES VIOLATE WORKPLACE POLICY. AND THAT POLICE HAVE ENOUGH áCRIME TO DEAL WITH.(Steve Leclair: "people being shot people being killed, armed robberies everything that's going on...i just don't think the possibility of workplace rule violations rises to the level of a police investigation.") CITY COUNCIL FRANKLIN THOMPSON WEIGHED IN. HE SAYS THE MAYOR'S DECISION TO HAVE POLICE INVESTIGATE WILL MAKE IT áNEUTRAL.AND THEY'LL GET TO THE BOTTOM QUICKER. THOMPSON ALSO BELIEVES THESE PICTURES SAY MUCH MORE THAN WORDS.(Dr Franklin Thompson: "I think when boys have too much free time on on their hands they get into trouble.and I think this is a good case of too many firemen with too much down time.") (Steve Leclair: "To say too much time and not enough to do is insulting and my comment that we have far less time and far more to do than a city council member was meant to be insulting back.") FIRE CHIEF MIKE McDONNELL WOULD NOT COMMENT ON THE OPEN INVESTIGATION TODAY. MAYOR STOTHERT TOLD US ALLOWING PEOPLE INTO FIRE STATIONS IS COMMON --USUALLY ALLOWING KIDS TO GET IN AND CRAWL AROUND THE TRUCKS. SHE CALLS THESE PHOTOS QUOTE "INAPPROPRIATE" AND SAYS THIS DIDN'T LOOK LIKE A FIELD TRIP. BACK TO YOU.

Mayor: Police to investigate controversial firehouse photos

Omaha's mayor has ordered the city's fire chief to suspend an investigation into controversial photos that surfaced Monday.